Honest Review: The Clean Pepsi Sucks

[stanleebobyolo]

Okay, I've already given away one rep, but can you spot the rest?
No? Well then good for them

Okay, I'll start off with this. If you saw the lead image, and can't tell which watches are reps and which are real, congrats to the factories. They did a good job. And honestly on the wrist, I think the Clean Pepsi passes. The bezel painting needs some work, and the mag AR is a joke, but I think shape and color and even squinting at the hands, it looks decent.

Quick little comparison of the two GMTs. DW is bad, mag is bad, crown is close, bezel shape looks pretty good, even the overall side profile isn't bad. Case passes at first glance



However, this isn't DHgate. If you bought one of these, you dropped over 500$, and you are hoping you don't have to be 3 beers deep for this to seem like it's worth 500$. I for one actually wear my watches (you see me taking my seadweller that I broke the bezel, out skiing? Awww yeah). And the moving parts of this watch are a joke.
Look at this time setting. Is it midnight.....ish? Pile of crap https://imgur.com/QliCJus
The bezel has terrible alignment. Sure, I can risk taking it apart, but wtf. The action is actually not bad. But considering this costs the same as a VSF Starbucks...... no. It's not even close. Same goes for the actual movement. The winding is gritty, the jump hour.... lmao they put the jump in jump out. I refuse to believe these movements will last over a year. To compare, check out the action on my sweet VSF Omega PO. It's night and day, and the PO was 100$ cheaper! jump hour clean vs vsf

This might be the best pepsi we have, but honestly? Save your money, hit up DHgate. The factories are churning out shit because they can, and we really shouldn't be rewarding them. Don't buy this watch. Please

 

[derjenigewelcher]

Not only the Pepsi Bro......But its kind of like that...ATM

 

[starssuck]

Is VRF no longer producing watches, only movements? I was trying to get these two side by side to do a comparison. The bezels are very different, though another reviewer noted that it's the MK1 MK2 difference trying to be represented by rep factories. That said, I haven't touched any CF watch. The VR, aside from some bezel alignment issues, felt pretty good ootb. Thoughts or experience?

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[Repmaster1337]

Thanks for the honesty.
Just bought CF batman, so sad the quality and parts is this low.

 

[Noob42069]

I’ve had my Batman for a while now.

and I have to agree. Bezel was misaligned, but I should have caught that on QC.

Needed to send watch to modder to realign it. but even with it realigned, I’ve realized that the internal spacing of the numbers on bezel are not perfect / aligned.

Also I’ve heard the internal aspects of the bezel mechanism is awful, with too much lube.

Don’t forget the white gasket thing around the xtal.
DW is livable I guess, but bothers me.

in the end a better OOTB watch would be to replace xtal with a prof ($200) and a DW ($150) + a full service.

An extra $350. Not sure how much a full service costs.

 

[Noob42069]

Still early iterations though. What V3 for both GMTs?

maybe in V5 it will be a lot better.

 

[KJ2020]

If your movement feels gritty it probably needs a servicing. That's hit or miss with reps, I have plenty that are running well with smooth crown operation years after purchase including several VR3185s.

The VR3185/6 movements are generally rock solid movements and are far and away the top tier rep Rolex GMT movements available. The hands wobble that occurs during hour jumping is a byproduct of the 3185 design and the gen 3185 exhibits the exact same characteristic. The gen 3186 was developed specifically to eliminate this issue but the re-design resulted in a weaker jump click part. Rolex has had to update the part twice and is now using the third version in the 3186.

Gen jumping hour click springs compared

There are two versions of the VR GMT movement, both are based on the gen 3185 so RWI decided to call the first one the VR3185. The only difference in the second version is a fake deco plate on the balance assembly to make it look like a gen balance. And the regulator arms were moved to the opposite side. Both are engraved 3186.

The hands wobble exhibited on these VR rep movements should be accepted as welcome confirmation that you have the best movement. The other Rolex rep GMT movements (2824 CHS, SA3186, SH3186, SA3285 are vastly inferior by comparison and should be avoided.

The CF bezel assemblies are indeed a significant shortcoming and at its price we should certainly expect better. GMF, VRF, ROF, and some other bezels are much better but every rep has its flaws so we have to pick our poison.

I currently have a couple dozen GMT reps including two CFs and rate them close to the top of the heap for what's currently available OOTB. Prices are climbing for all reps so are they worth the money? Probably not, but few are anymore.

Even the highly touted VSF Sub 41 has a couple of real downer flaws - the SEL mid link definition is noticeably slight and the cyclops has obscene edge distortion. But I have a couple of those too and place them close to the top of the heap as well.

More on the CF bezel in the link below if anyone is interested

Post #3285

https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...9#post10449759

"Love em for what they are and don't hate em for what they're not" keeps me happy in my fantasy land. That's all this hobby is after all.

 

[stanleebobyolo]

Im glad to hear the wobble isnt the sign of a bad batch. Still, its crazy how it compares to my vsf Omega. Its not even close. A good case of, maybe just build a good movement and not something visually cloned to gen, especially on a closed caseback

 

[Yogibear]

However vsf[/URL]

This might be the best pepsi we have, but honestly? Save your money, hit up DHgate. The factories are churning out shit because they can, and we really shouldn't be rewarding them. Don't buy this watch. Please

I've not been impressed at all post raids what the factory's in general have been releasing. Not a fan of the trend were seeing lol.

 

[StreetFighter]

Even the highly touted VSF Sub 41 has a couple of real downer flaws - the SEL mid link definition is atrociously slight .

..................

This is incorrect. That is a 126610 and a 116610, the endlinks are not the same.

The 126610 actually has a very slight midelink step, not like the 116610. This was an incorrect assumtion that I made too, however it seems VSF were on it from the start.

The genuine 126610 endlink is shallow and not well defined, it looks like VSF..

Here are 3 genuine 126610...

VSF endlinks are 90% there. Give a gen a polish and it'll have VSF endlinks.

 

[muiramas]

I've not been impressed at all post raids what the factory's in general have been releasing. Not a fan of the trend were seeing lol.

I agree. Its good that the movements are better than ever, but in terms of the watches the factories are turning out it feels like they are back at 2017/18 levels.

 

[Yogibear]

I agree. Its good that the movements are better than ever, but in terms of the watches the factories are turning out it feels like they are back at 2017/18 levels.

I was just talking about that with pompompurin. It's strange that all these new random factory's are coming out with only a specific Rolex model and just Rolex only. It's like people are picking up the scraps over there from the raids and trying to make a quick buck because all these new factory's releases are just awful looking replicas.

Another point to recognize, there was an ARF Daytona release post I saw talking about how they will be using 316l instead of 904l to keep a competitive price point..... When is the last time ARF used 904l?? Lol it's like their trademark. Also price point now between 904l and 316l isn't a big margin at all.

 

[gianton]

Is this from PT the same as GMF v5/v6?​

 

[mech500]

Look basically the same in the first pic.

It might suck but it’s an order of magnitude better than the noob offering we had with ticking time bomb movement, which was being sold at a higher price point.

GMF GMTs just don’t cut it in real life.

So IMo clean GMT is the best gmt Rep we’ve seen to date.

Is it perfect, no, Ofc not but it’s not like we’ve seen any better reps to date.

Yeh it not as good as gen but we know that. Gen is gen. nothing new there.

Swap in a gen xtal and it’s more than good enough for me but yes we all have our own different standards


Thanks for sharing


Sent from my iPhone using RWI

 

[stanleebobyolo]

Look basically the same in the first pic.

It might suck but it’s an order of magnitude better than the noob offering we had with ticking time bomb movement, which was being sold at a higher price point.

GMF GMTs just don’t cut it in real life.

So IMo clean GMT is the best gmt Rep we’ve seen to date.

Is it perfect, no, Ofc not but it’s not like we’ve seen any better reps to date.

Yeh it not as good as gen but we know that. Gen is gen. nothing new there.

Swap in a gen xtal and it’s more than good enough for me but yes we all have our own different standards


Thanks for sharing


Sent from my iPhone using RWI

I might just be spoiled by having some absolutely amazing reps before. You're right, visually the clean is not off. When I first heard about rep watches, this is basically what I expected: something that looks real, and the second you try to use it you realize its fake. Once the time is set, you wouldn't be any wiser unless you had another rolex in your hand.

But like, that's also part of my issue. If I just wanted a shitty watch with a pepsi bezel, I'd buy another parnis. Those things are great, and they only cost 100$. I'm just not sure why this one is worth over 500$

 

[Tobel]

I'm just not sure why this one is worth over 500$

Because it's probably the best one to date that says Rolex on it and folks are willing to pay for this
As mentioned above, Noob used to sell watches that could die any minute and looked less good for a higher price. Look at the price of RM watches with their nasty looking Miyota movements... Supply and demand

 

[wubsub]

for $500 you get:

a solid vr gmt movement
very gen like dial
very gen like hands
superb bracelet
good case
good insert
good crown.. etc
dw and crystal can be improved

but for the price i am for sure not going to complain. if the bezel assembly bothers you that much it’s not expensive to switch out to the gen spring system… really reps have gone a long way we have no reason to complain!

 

[KJ2020]

..................

This is incorrect. That is a 126610 and a 116610, the endlinks are not the same.

The 126610 actually has a very slight midelink step, not like the 116610. This was an incorrect assumtion that I made too, however it seems VSF were on it from the start.

The genuine 126610 endlink is shallow and not well defined, it looks like VSF..

You are right bro I pasted the wrong screen grab from Watchfinder in that collage. Here is the right one.

I still see quite a difference between VSF and gen, more power to those who don't. I try not to dwell on flaws if I decide to live with them.

 

[gianton]

We need a VSF Pepsi GMT!

 

[gianton]

Just received my CF Pepsi GMT-II looks great to me.